Madison police are investigating a recent series of thefts that occurred at Sotto nightclub, located on 303 N. Henry St.

Madison police spokesperson Joel DeSpain said most of the thefts have involved iPhones and other high-end cell phones. Since Jan. 1, DeSpain said there have been seven thefts at Sotto.

“There have definitely been quite a few incidents of thefts,” DeSpain said. “It appears someone is targeting this place at this time. We have a detective and police officer working on it but they have not identified anyone yet.”

According to DeSpain, phones and wallets are being stolen from jackets, bathrooms and purses.

DeSpain said he has not seen a spree like this since last summer, when a similar trend of thefts occurred at State Street Brats.

“Last summer, there was a rash of thefts at Brats,” DeSpain said. “We worked with the owners there and now that problem has completely gone away. We are currently in the process of working to identify the criminals and take care of this.”

DeSpain said there are certain criminals who target the campus and downtown area and work together in groups to distract a victim while another steals something.

He added that it is important for students in particular to be conscious of these types of situations and keep an eye on their valuable belongings.

“Whenever I see a trend like this I try to get that information out,” DeSpain said. “As a police department and community, we all have to be aware of things like this. We are hoping we have some impact by working with downtown establishments and educating people to be careful.”